<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast; I am delighted to welcome Sam Catling, Owner and Host of the unique YouTube podcast, Decktales, and Author, Seems Like  Smooth Sailing. Sam told me, “I&apos;ve been chipping away at DeckTales since November 2023, have written a book or two myself. I live in London.” The mission statement for his podcast is as follows: Welcome aboard The DeckTales Podcast! The first port of call for anyone curious about the dynamic and adventurous world of working on ships! Whether you&apos;re dreaming of a career at sea, an experienced maritime professional, or simply fascinated by life on the water, this podcast offers an inside look at what it really means to work on a ship. Each episode features insightful interviews with seasoned seafarers, ship officers, and maritime experts who share their unique experiences, challenges, and stories from the deck. Discover the highs and lows of life at sea, from navigating international waters to handling tough weather, tight-knit crews, and the evolving technology on modern ships. We dive deep into topics such as: Shipboard jobs and career paths (deckhands, officers, engineers, chefs, and more) Maritime safety, ship maintenance, and the latest technologies. Tips for new recruits on how to prepare for a life at sea. The impact of international shipping, environmental concerns, and sustainability in the maritime industry. Personal stories from those who have spent years on the waves. Tune in every week to gain valuable insights into this exciting industry and join the conversation about life on the open ocean. DeckTales is your go-to resource for everything related to working on ships and the maritime world.  Seems Like Smooth Sailing <a href='https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seems-Like-Smooth-Sailing-Catling/dp/1912964244'>https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seems-Like-Smooth-Sailing-Catling/dp/1912964244</a>The DeckTales Podcast:  <a href='https://www.decktales.co.uk/'>https://www.decktales.co.uk/</a>Do you have a dream car? <a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth">Support the show</a>Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast <a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'>https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new</a> Support Me <a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'>https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth</a> Contact Me <a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'>https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html</a> Book Cruises <a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'>http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/</a> US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising</a> Cruising Interrupted <a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'>https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted</a> The Joy of Cruising Again <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain</a> Intl Orders via Amazon

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Joy of Cruising Podcast&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;; I am delighted to welcome &lt;em&gt;Sam Catling, &lt;/em&gt;Owner and Host of the unique YouTube podcast, &lt;em&gt;Decktales, &lt;/em&gt;and Author&lt;em&gt;, Seems Like  Smooth Sailing.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sam told me, “I&amp;apos;ve been chipping away at &lt;em&gt;DeckTales&lt;/em&gt; since November 2023, have written a book or two myself. I live in London.” The mission statement for his podcast is as follows: Welcome aboard &lt;em&gt;The DeckTales Podcast&lt;/em&gt;! The first port of call for anyone curious about the dynamic and adventurous world of working on ships! Whether you&amp;apos;re dreaming of a career at sea, an experienced maritime professional, or simply fascinated by life on the water, this podcast offers an inside look at what it really means to work on a ship. Each episode features insightful interviews with seasoned seafarers, ship officers, and maritime experts who share their unique experiences, challenges, and stories from the deck. Discover the highs and lows of life at sea, from navigating international waters to handling tough weather, tight-knit crews, and the evolving technology on modern ships. We dive deep into topics such as: Shipboard jobs and career paths (deckhands, officers, engineers, chefs, and more) Maritime safety, ship maintenance, and the latest technologies. Tips for new recruits on how to prepare for a life at sea. The impact of international shipping, environmental concerns, and sustainability in the maritime industry. Personal stories from those who have spent years on the waves. Tune in every week to gain valuable insights into this exciting industry and join the conversation about life on the open ocean. &lt;em&gt;DeckTales &lt;/em&gt;is your go-to resource for everything related to working on ships and the maritime world. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Seems Like Smooth Sailing &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seems-Like-Smooth-Sailing-Catling/dp/1912964244'&gt;https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seems-Like-Smooth-Sailing-Catling/dp/1912964244&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The DeckTales Podcast: &lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href='https://www.decktales.co.uk/'&gt;https://www.decktales.co.uk/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you have a dream car?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Support&lt;b&gt; thejoyofcruisingpodcast &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'&gt;https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Support Me &lt;a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'&gt;https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Contact Me &lt;a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'&gt;https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Book Cruises &lt;a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'&gt;http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;US Orders (coupon code &lt;b&gt;joyofcruisingpodcast)&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Cruising Interrupted &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'&gt;https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising Again &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Intl Orders via Amazon&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast; I am delighted to welcome Sam Catling, Owner and Host of the unique YouTube podcast, Decktales, and Author, Seems Like  Smooth Sailing.   Sam told me, “I've been chipping away at DeckTales since November 2023, have written a book or two myself. I live in London.” The mission statement for his podcast is as follows: Welcome aboard The DeckTales Podcast! The first port of call for a...

The Joy of Cruising Podcast

Sam Catling, Host, YouTube Podcast, Decktales; Author, Seems Like  Smooth Sailing

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2113608/open_sms">Send a text</a>Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome back Kathy Lu, Regional Director, Trade Sales, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. When Kathy was here over a year ago, she represented a different luxury brand. I am excited to hear from Kathy now about The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. I perused their website, linked below, and RCYC looks marvelous! Kathy Lu previously worked for respectively, Explora Journeys and Crystal Cruises. From her beginnings as an administrative assistant, through promotions into a myriad of roles in strategic partnerships, international sales and marketing, and ultimately as Regional Director, Kathy has formed unique global perspectives and valuable insights into all facets of luxury tourism today. A playful and curious lover of travel who began cruising from a young age, Kathy has spent much of her life exploring the world. Her favorite destinations include Greece, Hungary, and Vietnam and her future-travels wish list includes iconic spots like South Africa, New Zealand, and especially Iceland; a broken ankle, occurring hours after stepping onto the land of fire and ice, cut her holiday short in 2021. Whether at home in Atlanta, in a fine restaurant, at a taco truck, or aboard a luxury ship, Kathy enjoys the foodie life and relishes opportunities to entertain. She loves contemporary art and Scotch whisky that is old enough to order its own drink. She’s a friend to all canines, and she loves people, particularly her supportive family in Los Angeles. Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University in Geographical Information Systems with a minor in Business Entrepreneurship.  <a href='http://www.ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com/'>www.ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com</a> Do you have a dream car? <a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth">Support the show</a>Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast <a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'>https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new</a> Support Me <a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'>https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth</a> Contact Me <a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'>https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html</a> Book Cruises <a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'>http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/</a> US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising</a> Cruising Interrupted <a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'>https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted</a> The Joy of Cruising Again <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain</a> Intl Orders via Amazon

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2113608/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. This week on &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Joy of Cruising Podcast&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;, I am delighted to welcome back &lt;em&gt;Kathy Lu, &lt;/em&gt;Regional Director, Trade Sales, &lt;em&gt;The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.&lt;/em&gt; When Kathy was here over a year ago, she represented a different luxury brand. I am excited to hear from Kathy now about &lt;em&gt;The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.&lt;/em&gt; I perused their website, linked below, and &lt;em&gt;RCYC&lt;/em&gt; looks marvelous!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kathy Lu previously worked for respectively, Explora Journeys and Crystal Cruises. From her beginnings as an administrative assistant, through promotions into a myriad of roles in strategic partnerships, international sales and marketing, and ultimately as Regional Director, Kathy has formed unique global perspectives and valuable insights into all facets of luxury tourism today. A playful and curious lover of travel who began cruising from a young age, Kathy has spent much of her life exploring the world. Her favorite destinations include Greece, Hungary, and Vietnam and her future-travels wish list includes iconic spots like South Africa, New Zealand, and especially Iceland; a broken ankle, occurring hours after stepping onto the land of fire and ice, cut her holiday short in 2021. Whether at home in Atlanta, in a fine restaurant, at a taco truck, or aboard a luxury ship, Kathy enjoys the foodie life and relishes opportunities to entertain. She loves contemporary art and Scotch whisky that is old enough to order its own drink. She’s a friend to all canines, and she loves people, particularly her supportive family in Los Angeles. Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University in Geographical Information Systems with a minor in Business Entrepreneurship. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='http://www.ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com/'&gt;www.ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you have a dream car?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Support&lt;b&gt; thejoyofcruisingpodcast &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'&gt;https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Support Me &lt;a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'&gt;https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Contact Me &lt;a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'&gt;https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Book Cruises &lt;a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'&gt;http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;US Orders (coupon code &lt;b&gt;joyofcruisingpodcast)&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Cruising Interrupted &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'&gt;https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising Again &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Intl Orders via Amazon&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send a text Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome back Kathy Lu, Regional Director, Trade Sales, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. When Kathy was here over a year ago, she represented a different luxury brand. I am excited to hear from Kathy now about The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. I perused their website, linked below, and RCYC looks marvelous!   Kathy Lu previously worked for respectively, Explora Journeys and...

The Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection, Kathy Lu, Regional Director

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2113608/open_sms">Send a text</a>Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast; I am delighted to welcome back Jason Venner. In a section called Specialty Cruising: Fun and Quirky, I wrote about Jason in my book Cruising Interrupted in a chapter titled, Cruise Entertainment Producer, Director, Creator, MC Extraordinaire! And Jason joined me for a podcast of that same name, way back on <a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/13032568'>Episode 26</a>.I am really happy to have Jason back. I finally got to meet him in person, first last year on the Soul Train Cruise 2025 and then again just a few weeks ago on Soul Train Cruise 2026. Jason is really good at what he does, and I thought I would have him back to get some insight specific to the Soul Train Cruise, and hear Jason contrast it with theme cruises of other genres he has hosted. Jason got his start in cruising in 2002 as a DJ with Holland America Line (HAL), a high-end cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation. At HAL, Jason progressed through the ranks from a DJ to over 10 years as a Cruise Director, to Corporate Trainer, to three years as Producer and Host of the joint ABC/BBC HAL production, Dancing with the Stars: At Sea. Since 2015, Jason has been self-employed as a Producer, Director, and Host of full-ship music charter cruises, primarily in partnership with StarVista LIVE, a leading theme cruise operator. For StarVista LIVE, Jason hosts Malt Shop Memories Cruise; Soul Train Cruise; The Country Music Cruise; Flower Power Cruise; Ultimate Disco Cruise, and more. Over the years Jason has introduced and interviewed hundreds of star performers.  “It’s crazy to be on a first-name basis with the legends of the music industry.”Do you have a dream car? <a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth">Support the show</a>Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast <a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'>https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new</a> Support Me <a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'>https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth</a> Contact Me <a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'>https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html</a> Book Cruises <a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'>http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/</a> US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising</a> Cruising Interrupted <a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'>https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted</a> The Joy of Cruising Again <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain</a> Intl Orders via Amazon

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2113608/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Joy of Cruising Podcast&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;; I am delighted to welcome back Jason Venner. In a section called Specialty Cruising: Fun and Quirky&lt;em&gt;, &lt;/em&gt;I wrote about Jason in my book &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Cruising Interrupted&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; in a chapter titled, &lt;em&gt;Cruise Entertainment Producer, Director, Creator, MC Extraordinaire! &lt;/em&gt;And Jason joined me for a podcast&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;of that same name, way back on &lt;a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/13032568'&gt;Episode 26&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I am really happy to have Jason back. I finally got to meet him in person, first last year on the &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise&lt;/em&gt; 2025 and then again just a few weeks ago on &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise&lt;/em&gt; 2026. Jason is really good at what he does, and I thought I would have him back to get some insight specific to the &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise, &lt;/em&gt;and hear Jason contrast it with theme cruises of other genres he has hosted.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jason got his start in cruising in 2002 as a DJ with Holland America Line (HAL), a high-end cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation. At HAL, Jason progressed through the ranks from a DJ to over 10 years as a Cruise Director, to Corporate Trainer, to three years as Producer and Host of the joint ABC/BBC HAL production, &lt;em&gt;Dancing with the Stars: At Sea&lt;/em&gt;. Since 2015, Jason has been self-employed as a Producer, Director, and Host of full-ship music charter cruises, primarily in partnership with &lt;em&gt;StarVista LIVE&lt;/em&gt;, a leading theme cruise operator. For StarVista LIVE, Jason hosts &lt;em&gt;Malt Shop Memories Cruise&lt;/em&gt;; &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise&lt;/em&gt;; &lt;em&gt;The Country Music Cruise&lt;/em&gt;; &lt;em&gt;Flower Power Cruise&lt;/em&gt;; &lt;em&gt;Ultimate Disco Cruise&lt;/em&gt;, and more. Over the years Jason has introduced and interviewed hundreds of star performers.  “It’s crazy to be on a first-name basis with the legends of the music industry.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you have a dream car?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Support&lt;b&gt; thejoyofcruisingpodcast &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'&gt;https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Support Me &lt;a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'&gt;https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Contact Me &lt;a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'&gt;https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Book Cruises &lt;a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'&gt;http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;US Orders (coupon code &lt;b&gt;joyofcruisingpodcast)&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Cruising Interrupted &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'&gt;https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising Again &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Intl Orders via Amazon&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send a text Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast; I am delighted to welcome back Jason Venner. In a section called Specialty Cruising: Fun and Quirky, I wrote about Jason in my book Cruising Interrupted in a chapter titled, Cruise Entertainment Producer, Director, Creator, MC Extraordinaire! And Jason joined me for a podcast of that same name, way back on Episode 26. I am really happy to have Jason back. I finally got to meet him in person, fir...

Jason Venner, Producer/Host, Soul Train Cruise & Various Theme Cruises: 60’s, New Orleans Music, Country, Rock, and Disco

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2113608/open_sms">Send a text</a>Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast; I am delighted to welcome my friend Emery Gill, aka DJ Gilla. I call him my friend as I first interacted with DJ Gilla on a long cruise, our first transatlantic, it was Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady where I would find some shade around the pool and chill, or groove, depending on what he was spinning. There was a lot of that as the first 8 days of this long cruise were sea days. We got to cruise with DJ Gilla again on our last cruise, one of the inaugurals for the new and very attractive Princess Cruises Star Princess. We were on the Star Princess along with several hundred other travel agencies like ours, The Joy of Vacation by Dream Vacations, as Dream Vacations was holding its annual conference. DJ Gilla dj’d a couple of private parties for as some of you might have seen a short video of DJ Gilla spinning in the promo for this episode. I am particularly excited for this episode. Besides my love of music, I have tried to bring my listeners a perspective of everyone one who works on cruise ships to make your experience great. I have hosted Cruise Directors, performers, comedians, Captains, and various crew and staff, but in all my 230 episodes of so have not brought you the perspective of a DJ, one of the mostly hidden people so key to making your voyage memorable. Emery Gill, known as DJ Gilla, hails from the Central American Country of Belize. He&apos;s an open format Disc Jockey that started out playing for students at his high school some fourteen plus years ago, which was where his fan base had originated. DJ Gilla made it to the International Stage in 2017 when he was highlighted at the International New Orleans Jazz Festival in Louisiana. In 2019, he became a part of a Pro DJ fleet serving numerous cruise lines allowing him to perform sets for audiences of many different cultures, all around the world. DJ Gilla has also performed on Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Cruises, as well as theme cruises, The Groove Cruise and The Temptation Cruise, both in 2023. Key Clients &amp; Partners have included BPM Supreme, iHeart Radio, and Belikin Beer. Among DJ Gilla’s significant Events &amp; Venues:•         New Orleans Jazz Festival (NOLA)•         Farah Night Club (Marseille, France)•         The Vault (Miami, FL)•         Club Upperclass (Los Angeles, CA)•         Triple Deuces (New York) Do you have a dream car? <a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth">Support the show</a>Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast <a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'>https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new</a> Support Me <a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'>https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth</a> Contact Me <a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'>https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html</a> Book Cruises <a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'>http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/</a> US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising</a> Cruising Interrupted <a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'>https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted</a> The Joy of Cruising Again <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain</a> Intl Orders via Amazon

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2113608/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Joy of Cruising Podcast&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;; I am delighted to welcome my friend &lt;em&gt;Emery Gill, aka DJ Gilla. &lt;/em&gt;I call him my friend as I first interacted with &lt;em&gt;DJ Gilla&lt;/em&gt; on a long cruise, our first transatlantic, it was Virgin Voyages &lt;em&gt;Scarlet Lady&lt;/em&gt; where I would find some shade around the pool and chill, or groove, depending on what he was spinning. There was a lot of that as the first 8 days of this long cruise were sea days. We got to cruise with &lt;em&gt;DJ Gilla &lt;/em&gt;again on our last cruise, one of the inaugurals for the new and very attractive Princess Cruises &lt;em&gt;Star Princess. &lt;/em&gt;We were on the &lt;em&gt;Star Princess &lt;/em&gt;along with several hundred other travel agencies like ours, &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Joy of Vacation by Dream Vacations&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;em&gt;, &lt;/em&gt;as &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Dream Vacations &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;was holding its annual conference. &lt;em&gt;DJ Gilla &lt;/em&gt;dj’d a couple of private parties for as some of you might have seen a short video of &lt;em&gt;DJ Gilla &lt;/em&gt;spinning in the promo for this episode.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I am particularly excited for this episode. Besides my love of music, I have tried to bring my listeners a perspective of everyone one who works on cruise ships to make your experience great. I have hosted Cruise Directors, performers, comedians, Captains, and various crew and staff, but in all my 230 episodes of so have not brought you the perspective of a DJ, one of the mostly hidden people so key to making your voyage memorable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Emery Gill, known as &lt;em&gt;DJ Gilla&lt;/em&gt;, hails from the Central American Country of Belize. He&amp;apos;s an open format Disc Jockey that started out playing for students at his high school some fourteen plus years ago, which was where his fan base had originated. &lt;em&gt;DJ Gilla&lt;/em&gt; made it to the International Stage in 2017 when he was highlighted at the International New Orleans Jazz Festival in Louisiana. In 2019, he became a part of a Pro DJ fleet serving numerous cruise lines allowing him to perform sets for audiences of many different cultures, all around the world. &lt;em&gt;DJ Gilla&lt;/em&gt; has also performed on Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Cruises, as well as theme cruises, &lt;em&gt;The Groove Cruise&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;The Temptation Cruise&lt;/em&gt;, both in 2023. Key Clients &amp;amp; Partners have included &lt;em&gt;BPM Supreme&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;iHeart Radio&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;Belikin Beer&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Among DJ Gilla’s significant Events &amp;amp; Venues:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;•         New Orleans Jazz Festival (NOLA)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;•         Farah Night Club (Marseille, France)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;•         The Vault (Miami, FL)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;•         Club Upperclass (Los Angeles, CA)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;•         Triple Deuces (New York) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you have a dream car?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Support&lt;b&gt; thejoyofcruisingpodcast &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'&gt;https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Support Me &lt;a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'&gt;https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Contact Me &lt;a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'&gt;https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Book Cruises &lt;a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'&gt;http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;US Orders (coupon code &lt;b&gt;joyofcruisingpodcast)&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Cruising Interrupted &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'&gt;https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising Again &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Intl Orders via Amazon&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send a text Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast; I am delighted to welcome my friend Emery Gill, aka DJ Gilla. I call him my friend as I first interacted with DJ Gilla on a long cruise, our first transatlantic, it was Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady where I would find some shade around the pool and chill, or groove, depending on what he was spinning. There was a lot of that as the first 8 days of this long cruise were sea days. We got to cruise wi...

Emery Gill aka DJ Gilla, Headlining Cruise Ship DJ 

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2113608/open_sms">Send a text</a>Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul, and this is Cheryl, and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast we are pleasedto present our reflections of the Soul Train Cruise 2026 we just experienced the first week of February. It was a welcome respite from a very busy last few months as I think most of you are aware we went through the process of relocating from North Carolina to Virgina. We want to preface by recalling a podcast episode we did several months ago about our top ten all-time cruises. There were two aspects of that episode that are particularly relevant to this episode about our reflections of the Soul Train Cruise on Holland America Lines Eurodam. The first relevant aspect of the all-time top list is that it was dominated by theme cruises. Any regular listener of The Joy of Cruising Podcast knows how much we’re endeared to theme cruises. And readers of my first cruise book, The Joy of Cruising know I devoted an entire section of the Amazon best seller to theme cruising.  The second aspect of that top ten all-time cruise list that is relevant, is that Soul Train Cruise 2025 was #4 on that list! Well listeners, I’m here to tell you Soul Train Cruise 2025 is now #5 as it has been surpassed by Soul Train 2026! Let me first give you some background. Soul Train Cruise is produced by Star Vista Live, a company that puts on a series of theme cruises each featuring differing genres including country, rock, disco, 60’s music, even New Orleans inspired music. This was the 15th sailing of the Soul Train Cruise. Up until 2025, the cruise ran once per year—always sold out—in February. Beginning last year, Star Vista Live added a second sailing in the Fall. The line-up of performers for each of the Soul Train Cruises reads like a who’s who to people who were fans of a certain genre of music which was popularized in homes by the groundbreaking television show Soul Train, which ran from 1971 to 2006 and was created and hosted until 1993 by the legendary Don Cornelius. Most of the acts featured on the Soul Train Cruise appeared on the television (of course many original members of the various acts have moved on or stopped performing.) So, it is no surprise that the headline acts are supplemented by more contemporary performers including stand-up comedians whose music or comedy is geared toward the demographic that makes up the bulk of the Soul Train Cruise passengers.Do you have a dream car? <a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth">Support the show</a>Support thejoyofcruisingpodcast <a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'>https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new</a> Support Me <a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'>https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth</a> Contact Me <a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'>https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html</a> Book Cruises <a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'>http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/</a> US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast) The Joy of Cruising <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising</a> Cruising Interrupted <a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'>https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted</a> The Joy of Cruising Again <a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'>https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain</a> Intl Orders via Amazon

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2113608/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul, and this is Cheryl, and this week on &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Joy of Cruising Podcast &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;we are pleasedto present our reflections of the &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise&lt;/em&gt; 2026 we just experienced the first week of February. It was a welcome respite from a very busy last few months as I think most of you are aware we went through the process of relocating from North Carolina to Virgina.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We want to preface by recalling a podcast episode we did several months ago about our top ten all-time cruises. There were two aspects of that episode that are particularly relevant to this episode about our reflections of the Soul Train Cruise on Holland America Lines Eurodam. The first relevant aspect of the all-time top list is that it was dominated by theme cruises. Any regular listener of &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Joy of Cruising Podcast&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; knows how much we’re endeared to theme cruises. And readers of my first cruise book, &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Joy of Cruising&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; know I devoted an entire section of the Amazon best seller to theme cruising. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The second aspect of that top ten all-time cruise list that is relevant, is that &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise&lt;/em&gt; 2025 was #4 on that list! Well listeners, I’m here to tell you &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise&lt;/em&gt; 2025 is now #5 as it has been surpassed by &lt;em&gt;Soul Train&lt;/em&gt; 2026!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Let me first give you some background. &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise &lt;/em&gt;is produced by &lt;em&gt;Star Vista Live&lt;/em&gt;, a company that puts on a series of theme cruises each featuring differing genres including country, rock, disco, 60’s music, even New Orleans inspired music. This was the 15th sailing of the &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise. &lt;/em&gt;Up until 2025, the cruise ran once per year—always sold out—in February. Beginning last year, &lt;em&gt;Star Vista Live &lt;/em&gt;added a second&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;sailing in the Fall. The line-up of performers for each of the &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruises &lt;/em&gt;reads like a who’s who to people who were fans of a certain genre of music which was popularized in homes by the groundbreaking television show &lt;em&gt;Soul Train&lt;/em&gt;, which ran from 1971 to 2006 and was created and hosted until 1993 by the legendary Don Cornelius. Most of the acts featured on the &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise &lt;/em&gt;appeared on the television (of course many original members of the various acts have moved on or stopped performing.) So, it is no surprise that the headline acts are supplemented by more contemporary performers including stand-up comedians whose music or comedy is geared toward the demographic that makes up the bulk of the &lt;em&gt;Soul Train Cruise &lt;/em&gt;passengers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Do you have a dream car?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Support&lt;b&gt; thejoyofcruisingpodcast &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new'&gt;https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/new&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Support Me &lt;a href='https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth'&gt;https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Contact Me &lt;a href='https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html'&gt;https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Book Cruises &lt;a href='http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/'&gt;http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;US Orders (coupon code &lt;b&gt;joyofcruisingpodcast)&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruising&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Cruising Interrupted &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted'&gt;https://bit.ly/CruisingInterrupted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The Joy of Cruising Again &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain'&gt;https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Intl Orders via Amazon&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send a text Hello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul, and this is Cheryl, and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast we are pleasedto present our reflections of the Soul Train Cruise 2026 we just experienced the first week of February. It was a welcome respite from a very busy last few months as I think most of you are aware we went through the process of relocating from North Carolina to Virgina.   We want to preface by recalling a podcast episode we did several months ago about our t...

Paul & Cheryl’s Reflections on the 2026 Soul Train Cruise

The Joy of Cruising Podcast is a conversation with one of the dozens of amazing cruisers with fascinating stories that have been featured in The Joy of Cruising Trilogy—The Joy of Cruising, Cruising Interrupted, and new, The Joy of Cruising Again. In addition there will be conversations with global cruise personalities and cruisers I encounter with fascinating stories the cruise community would enjoy hearing.&nbsp; Order here: <a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-joy-of-cruising">The Joy of Cruising</a>; <a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/cruising-interrupted">Cruising Interrupted</a>; bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgain;<a href="https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.html"> Contact Me&nbsp;</a>

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